BIOLOGY/BIOLOGICAL STUDIES/BIOTECNOLOGY/BIOCHEMISTRY-304
BIOLOGY/BIOLOGICAL
STUDIES/BIOTECHNOLOGY/
BIOCHEMISTRY
Syllabus
Note:
There will be one Question Paper which will have 28 questions out of which 25 questions need to be
attempted.
BIOLOGY/BIOLOGICAL STUDIES/BIOTECHNOLOGY/BIOCHEMISTRY
Unit I: Reproduction
Salient features and classification of animals- non-chordate up to phyla level and chordate up to
class level (three to five salient features and at least two examples). Reproduction in organisms:
Reproduction, a characteristic feature of all organisms for continuation of species; Modes of
reproduction – Asexual and sexual; Asexual reproduction; Modes- Binary fission, sporulation,
budding, gemmule, fragmentation; vegetative propagation in plants.
Sexual reproduction in flowering plants: Flower structure; Development of male and female
gametophytes; Pollination–types, agencies, and examples; Outbreedings devices; Pollen-Pistil
interaction; Double fertilization; Post fertilization events– Development of endosperm and embryo,
Development ofseed and formation of fruit; Special modes– apomixis, parthenocarpy, polyembryony;
Significance of seedand fruit formation.
Human Reproduction: Male and female reproductive systems; Microscopic anatomy of testis and
ovary; Gametogenesis- spermatogenesis & oogenesis; Menstrual cycle; Fertilization, embryo
development upto blastocyst formation, implantation; Pregnancy and placenta formation (Elementary
idea); Parturition (Elementary idea); Lactation (Elementary idea).
Reproductive health: Need for reproductive health and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases
(STD); Birth control- Need and Methods, Contraception and Medical Termination of Pregnancy
(MTP); Amniocentesis; Infertility and assisted reproductive technologies – IVF, ZIFT, GIFT
(Elementary idea forgeneral awareness).
Unit II: Genetics and Evolution
Heredity and variation: Mendelian Inheritance; Deviations from Mendelism– Incomplete dominance,
Co-dominance, Multiple alleles and Inheritance of blood groups, Pleiotropy; Elementary idea of
polygenic inheritance; Chromosome theory of inheritance; Chromosomes and genes; Sex
determination– In humans,birds, honey bee; Linkage and crossing over; Sex linked inheritance-
Haemophilia, Colour blindness; Mendelian disorders in humans– Thalassemia; Chromosomal
disorders in humans; Down’s syndrome, Turner’s and Klinefelter’s syndromes.
Molecular Basis of Inheritance: Search for genetic material and DNA as genetic material; Structureof
DNA and RNA; DNA packaging; DNA replication; Central dogma; Transcription, genetic
code, translation; Gene expression and regulation– Lac Operon; Genome and human genome
project; DNA finger printing.
Evolution: Origin of life; Biological evolution and evidences for biological evolution (Paleontological,
comparative anatomy, embryology and molecular evidence); Darwin’s contribution, Modern
Synthetic theory of Evolution; Mechanism of evolution– Variation (Mutation and Recombination) and
Natural Selection with examples, types of natural selection; Gene flow and genetic drift; Hardy-
Weinberg’s principle; Adaptive Radiation; Human evolution
BIOLOGY/BIOLOGICAL STUDIES/BIOTECNOLOGY/BIOCHEMISTRY-304
Unit III: Bioloy and Human Welfare
Health and Disease: Pathogens; parasites causing human diseases (Malaria, Filariasis, Ascariasis,
Typhoid, Pneumonia, common cold, amoebiasis, ring worm); Basic concepts of immunology–
vaccines;Cancer, HIV and AIDs; Adolescence, drug, and alcohol abuse.
Improvement in food production: Plant breeding, tissue culture, single cell protein, Biofortification;
Apiculture and Animal husbandry.
Microbes in human welfare: In household food processing, industrial production, sewage treatment,
energy generation and as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers
Unit IV: Biotechnology and Its Applications
Principles and process of Biotechnology: Genetic engineering (Recombinant DNA technology).
Application of Biotechnology in health and agriculture: Human insulin and vaccine production, gene
therapy; Genetically modified organisms- Bt crops; Transgenic Animals; Biosafety issues– Biopiracy
andpatents
Unit V: Human Physiology
Organisms and environment: Habitat and niche; Population and ecological adaptations; Population
interactions–mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism; Population attributes–growth, birth rate
anddeath rate, age distribution.
Ecosystems: Patterns, components; productivity and decomposition; Energy flow; Pyramids of
number, biomass, energy; Nutrient cycling (carbon and phosphorous); Ecological succession;
EcologicalServices– Carbon fixation, pollination, oxygen release.
Biodiversity and its conservation: Concept of Biodiversity; Patterns of Biodiversity; Importance of
Biodiversity; Loss of Biodiversity; Biodiversity conservation; Hotspots, endangered organisms,
extinction, Red Data Book, biosphere reserves, National parks, and sanctuaries.
Environmental issues: Air pollution and its control; Water pollution and its control; Agrochemicals
and their effects; Solid waste management; Radioactive waste management; Greenhouse effect and
global warming; Ozone depletion; Deforestation; Any three case studies as success stories addressing
environmental issues.
